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Mary Ellen Avery(May 6, 1927 - December 4, 2011)Born in the United StatesYear of Discovery: 1959

Doctor Solves Puzzle that Suffocates Many Premature Babies!

Inspiration is not so much something that is pursued, as it is something that is recognized when it suddenly appears. Avery's life, beginning with her early days growing up in Camden, New Jersey in the 1930s, was filled with such moments of inspiration. One of the first, which would forever alter the course of Avery's life, was a simple accident of geography. She happened to live in the same neighborhood as Emily Bacon, a physician who established the first medical practice in Philadelphia dedicated exclusively to pediatrics. Bacon reached out in friendship to the young Avery and that was that. Avery saw in Bacon a role model of a life filled with fascinating possibilities - she determined she would also pursue a career in medicine. So, filled with determination, she went to medical school which was very uncommon for a woman of her day.Avery had another moment of inspiration thrust upon her shortly after her graduation from medical school. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Like many other pioneers, she used her suffering for inspiration, refusing to give in to self pity.She took her diagnosis in stride - literally. She moved to Europe for two years, where she undertook a self-designed regimen combining rest with long walks in the fresh air. It was during this period of recuperation that Avery's fascination with lungs developed which set the course of her future work.

Later, as a resident at Johns Hopkins in the mid-1950s, Avery began a serious study of the lungs. She was especially interested in the lung's surface tension and the role it played in the deaths of premature infants. It was Avery's insight that solved the mystery of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), an often-fatal lung ailment afflicting premature infants. She discovered these premature infants were missing a crucial substance, called surfactant, which protects the lungs from collapsing when infants exhale. Her discovery led to life-saving treatments that allowed these newborns to overcome RDS and fill their lungs with the very breath of life.

Surfactant is the substance that keeps the lungs' airspaces expanded when we exhale. It acts by lowering the surface tension of the lungs, thus allowing the alveoli (the smallest air sacs inside the lungs) to remain open. But premature babies, especially those born before 28 weeks gestation, are unable to produce their own surfactant.

Avery had watched many premature infants lose their battle with RDS. It was difficult to watch and it happened quickly. The infants would struggle to breathe in fresh air, and then would make little grunting noises as they exhaled. They simply couldn't keep up. Their bodies turned blue and they died within the first three or four days of life. But, some survived. In fact, if they lived beyond those first critical days, they literally sprang back to life. Their lungs cleared and they were, by all appearances, healthy newborns. Avery wanted to know why. She was convinced there was something within the lungs themselves causing the RDS. Her breakthrough came when she heard that a scientist named Clements had identified a lung substance he called pulmonary surfactant. She was intrigued and drove to Maryland to meet with Clements during her Christmas vacation. As Clements explained the surfactant's role in helping the lungs maintain their expansion, by lessening the surface tension, Avery knew she had found her missing piece. She understood that if surfactant played this critical role it had to be the substance that was missing from the lungs of premature infants. Her findings revolutionized the understanding of RDS and set in motion a series of developments to treat this deadly disease.

Prior to Avery's discovery, doctors were at a loss as to how to treat these infants, and often watched helplessly as the infants struggled for breath and then died. Avery's identification of surfactant led to the development of replacement therapy for premature infants and has been credited with saving over 830,000 lives.